Ball receiver for pool tables



July 20,1926.

J. Mass BALL RECEIVER FOR POOL TABLES Filed March 5, 1926 Sheejs-Sheet 1 m1 mvron Ru es ATTORNEY July 20, 1926. 1,593,284

J. ARGES BALL RECEIVER FOR POOL TABLES Fled March 5, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wmvsss 1 1 Patented July 29, 1926.

UNITED STATES JOHN ABGES, OF PATERSON, NEVJ JERSEY.

BALL RECEIVER FOR, POOL TABLES.

Application filed March 3, 1926. Serial No. 91,919..

Pool tables are frequently provided with a ball receptacle and with a so-ealled subway system by which the balls when po'clr eted are conducted to this receptacle. The principal object of this invention is to provide a ball-receiver, to be supported either in this receptacle or any other suitable support, which is portable and thus affords a medium for replacing all the balls at once on the table, thus saving the attendant the exertion incident to steeping to reach the balls a few at a time and placing them on the table. In the best form the receiver is constructed so as to facilitate the removal of the balls therefrom in setting them for the playing of the game.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan, partly broken away, of a pool table with the receiver of my invention fitted thereto;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of what is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan, showing the receiver on the table in position for removing the balls from the receiver;

Fig. 1 is a plan of the receiver, showing its gate elevated;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the receiver and Fig. 6 a section on line 6-6, Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section of the receiver on line 7-7, Fig. 4.

The table 1 has the usual pockets 2, a subway system 3 communicating with each pocket, and a receptacle 4 at one end into which the subway system discharges. On this receptacle rests the improved receiver while the game is being played, said re ceiver being constructed as follows:

It has a bottom wall 5 which is generally rectangular excepting for a tapering forward projection 6, and at its back it has a rigid upstanding wall 7 and at each side a hinged wall 8. The bottom wall is in effect a thin plate, somewhat dished, as at 5 for a purpose to be explained. The hinges for the side walls are indicated at 9, and these side walls have suitable handles which may be formed, as shown, by providing elongated grooves 10 therein at the outside. Each side wall has attached thereto or formed therewith rigidly at its forward end a wing or extension 11 which projects toward the other side wall, but not so far but that a space or passage 12 is left between the ends of the two wings when the side walls are in their normal or upstanding positions.

On one wing, as the right-hand one, a gate or closure 13 is pivoted on a pin 14:, hearing against a washer, 15 so that-it is confined to move in a vertical plane; this gate is normally held in the elevated position by a spring 16 and it is adapted to be depressed by the operator by a flexible con-- ncction 17 having a terminal ring 18, the connection extending through an eye 19 on tie wing and normally holding the ring in convenient reach of the operators forefinger.

The receiver is usedas follows: It is placed on the support 4 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so that its tapering prolongation 6 is under the delivery end of the subway, the side walls being then elevated and the gate also elevated. As the game proceeds and the balls fall onto the prolongation 6 and thereupon roll into the rectangular space formed by the back and side walls and wings of the receiver they assume a more or less regular and compact formation due to the shape and size of said space. 90 When all the balls have entered the receiver the attendant lifts the receiver by its two handles 10 and places it on the table, first with the forefinger of his right hand and by means of the connection 1718 depressing the gate so as to confine the balls. He then releases the gate and depresses the side walls into the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, at whichtime the balls are held from rolling off the bottom wall of the receiver because it is dished, and thereupon applies the usual triangle 20, for spotting the balls, so as to cause itto contain them; one object in providing the prolongation 6 and dishing the entire bottom wall, as shown substantially in the form of a triangle Whose area equals, it may be remarked, approximately that of the rectangular space formed by 7, 8 and 11, is to permit the balls to change from the rectangular formation to a triangular one when they are freed by the depressing of the side walls and consequent elevation of the extensions 11, thus to facilitate fitting triangle 20 to them. Finally the attendant slides the triangle 20, containing the balls, off onto the table, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, and then returns the receiver to the receptacle 4:, preparatory to beginning a new game.

All the parts with which the balls have no contact may be covered with felt or other protective material.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable ball receiver for pool tables including a bottom wall, a back wall upstanding therefrom, and upstanding side walls hinged to the bottom wall to swing outwardly and down.

2. A portable ball receiver for pool tables including a bottom wall, a back wall upstanding therefrom, and upstanding side walls hinged to the bottom wall to swing outwardly and down, one of the sid walls having an extension extending toward but not to the other side wall and forming with the back and side walls an enclosure having a limited ball passage.

3. A portable ball receiver for pool tables including a bottom wall, means thereon to contain the balls having a passage to admit the balls thereto, and a manually operated closure for said passage movable into and out of obstructing relation thereto.

4. A portable ball receiver for pool tables including a bottom wall,'means thereon to contain theballshaving a passage to admit the balls thereto, and a closure for said passage normally held in unobstructing but movable into obstructing relation thereto.

5. A ball receiver for pool tables having a bottom wall dished in substantially the form of a triangle and means on the bottom wall to contain the balls on the dished portion thereof in a formation whose area approximately equals that of such triangle, said means having a passage to admit the balls thereto and having a portion thereof removable to permit thc'balls'to change from a rectangular formation to the triangular formation of the dishing. v

6. A portable ball receiver for pool tables including a bottom wall, and means upstanding from the bottom wall to contain 

